1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotating seat for an amusement ride.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several patents, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,783; 5,649,866; and 5,810,671 have a passenger carrier that is accelerated upward by bungee cords and can relatively freely swing about the ends of such cords. There is, however, no control over any rotation of the carrier that does occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,111 does involve controlled rotation of a passenger chair (also termed a “support”) for an amusement ride. The degree of rotation is, however, purposefully limited; the limited rotation that is possible apparently occurs only over a restricted, fixed portion of a course upon a tower; and only downward movement occurs when the chair has been rotated from its initial substantially vertical position.
Lines 31 through 37 in column 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,111 explain, “The passenger support, together with the passenger, is tilted forward into a falling orientation which is at a predetermined tilt-angle to the pre-fall orientation. The passenger support, together with the passenger, is dropped or propelled from the drop position to a lower position while the passenger support and the passenger are in the forward tilted falling orientation . . . . ”
Lines 3 and 4 in column 3 further clarify, “for safety reasons, the tilt-angle of the passenger and the passenger support is limited . . . . ”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,111 continues, in lines 26 through 28 of column 3, by asserting, “A travel course for the carriage is established by engaging a guide that is connected to the carriage upon an elongate rail or track that is coupled to an elevating tower.”
Lines 23 through 25, 39 through 42, and 46 through 49 of column 3 state, “The degree of tilt between the pre-fall orientation 92 and the falling orientation 95 is predetermined and restricted . . . . When the latching mechanism 40 is released, the passenger support 22 is permitted to tilt or be tilted from the pre-fall orientation 92 toward and into the falling orientation 95. Alternatively, the tilting action can be induced by an operating mechanism B43B which in the described embodiment is a rotary motor and may be exemplarily electromechanical, hydraulic or other suitable configuration.”
Lines 39 through 46 and 55 through 57 of column 6 consistently provide, “Upon reaching the drop position 70, the passenger support 22 is permitted to tilt, or is tilted from the upright and sitting pre-fall orientation 92 to the tilted falling orientation 95. To accomplish such tilting, the latching mechanism 40 is released and the passenger 55 is either motored to the tilted position using the operating mechanism 43 or the support 22 is simply allowed to drop to the tilted position and falling orientation 95 under the passenger's 55 own weight . . . . The tilting action is accommodated by the pivot connection 37 and is limited either by the operating mechanism 43 or appropriate stops.” Then line 67 of column 3 through line 2 of column 7 declares, “Either simultaneously or shortly thereafter, the carriage 34 begins to drop over a falling travel distance 73.”
Finally, lines 53 through 56 in column 7 observe, “The maximum safe tilt angle 98 is experimentally determined and then the actual tilt angle 98 is restricted within a range between that determined angle and the upright position.”